Fulcrum-bar for player-pianos.



PATENTED JULY14, 1908. 0. E. PRYOR.

FULGRUM BAR FOR PLAYER PIANOS;

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23. 1907.

ATTORNEY PATENT onmon.

CLARENCE E. PRYOR, OF BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK.

FULCRUM-BAR FOR PLAYER-PIANOS.

. Application filed July 23,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14:, 1908.

1907. Serial No. 385,217.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE E. PRYOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Binghamton, in the county of Broome and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fulcrum- Bars for PlayerPianos, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in fulcrum bars for player pianos in which the key bars of a player piano act in conjunction with a bent metallic rod.

The objects of my improvement are First: Accuracy of touch in a player piano by making use of a suspended key bar suspended from the air chest and making it possible to.

regulate the longitudinal motion of the player key. Second: To prevent any bind ing on the center and guide pins of the key bars. Third: To facilitate the removal of the player keys for repairing or adjustment. I attain these objects by l the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a cross section of a player piano action showing a practical appliance of my invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of my invention.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In my invention I have the bent fulcrum rod B, a continuous rod running the whole length of the piano and fastened firmly to the bottom of the player action. This fulcrum rod is formed in a series of loops C and C as shown in Fig. 2 and a series of eyes D, D etc., as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This fulcrum rod being fastened to the bottom of the player action by screws H passingthrough said eyes D and D as shown in Fig. 2 forms a continuous support for, or fulcrum bar for the player keys.

In operation the player key E is fulcrumed at E upon a loop of this continuous fulcrum bar as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When one of the pneumatics in the player piano F and F F etc., collapses in operation, it bears down on the adjustable connecting rod G as shown in Fig. l which is connected to the player key E fulcrumed at the point E as before stated. The player key E engages the abstract II, and thus moving it operates the piano action in the usual way.

Instead of having a continuous fulcrum I rod as shown inFig. 2, it may be found 1 advantageous to have or use as a fulcrum bar for the separate keys, individual loops for each player key, in which case I form a 1 number of individual loops as indicated in Fig. 3 and in which case I bend and twist the ends I and I in opposite directions so as 1 to form a breast support for the player key as it rests upon this loop. In this way I eliminate the wooden balance rail in other player pianos,.and I save the room and avoid the twist of the piano rail otherwise met with.

My invention greatly facilitates'the' removal of individual player keys in case of accident or for repairing.

In the modified form as shown in. Fig. 3, I am able so to position the fulcrum point of each individual player key as to avoid any obstruction which may eXist in the bottom of the player action.

Thus having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and forwhich I desire Letters Patent are as follows:

1. A piano action and a player action therefor, having player levers and a bent fulcrum rod, said rod comprising a series of loops, the connecting portions of the rod between the loops being each bent in the form of an eye, and by means of these eyes, the rod being fastened to the player action, and by these connections forming a continuous support for the player levers, said player levers being fulcumed on the bent rod, one lever fulcrumed on each loop and an adjustable rod by which one end of each player lever is connected to the player action, the other end of the lever engaging the abstract and thus forming a fulcrumed connecting means between the player action piano action.

2. A piano action and a player action therefor, having player levers and a bent fulcrum rod, said rod comprising a series of loops, the connecting portions of the rod between the loops being each bent in the form of an eye and by means of these eyes the bent rod being fastened to the body of the player action and by these connections forming a continuous support for the player levers, each loop supporting a player lever fulcrumed upon it, the player levers thus fulcrumed engaging. the abstract and thus operating the piano action.

3. A piano action and a player action and the piano action and thus operating the therefor, having an upright extension rod having a series of player levers and each having a curved padded pocket let therein and a bent fulcrum rod, said rod comprising 5 a series of loops, one end of each lever being attached to the upright extension rod of the player action, each lever being fulcrumed upon a loop of the fulcrum rod and engaging the rod by means of the curved padded pocket in which the loop rests and the lever thus fulcrumed engaging the abstract of the piano and by this means, the piano being operated.

4. A piano action and a player action 5 therefor having player levers and a bent,

fulcrumed rod, said rod comprising a series of loops, the connecting portions of the rod between the loops being each bent in the form of an eye and by means of these eyes, the rod. being fastened to the player action and by these connections forming a continuous support for the player levers and by these means the loops forming a firm leverage connection with the said action.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my 535 signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE E. PRYOR. Witnesses:

A. G. HALL, L. M. ALBER. 

